\chapter{General}

%-------------Work habits-----------------------
\section{Work habits}
%------------------------------------------------
%
Good working habits are useful and necessary in the long run. Good working habits are simply a way of organizing yourself that enables you to do your work efficiently and thoroughly. What constitutes good working habits for \textit{you} may vary from the next person, and you might have to try several times before you find a system which works for you. 

\begin{enumerate}
  \item \textbf{Plan your week/day}. Structure the week and try to designate days / parts of the day to specific tasks. For instance, use the time before lunch to work on course A, and the time after lunch for course B. Save ``easy'' tasks to the periods during the day when you usually get tired and attack the challenging tasks when you have the most mental capability. Set goals for the week and for each day so that you know what to do when you arrive at university and can check your goals at the end of the day / week. If you persistently fail to reach your goals; are they too ambitious or are you wasting time somehow? 
  \item \textbf{Limit surfing}. Try limiting time spent reading emails, checking Facebook and related surfing. Allow yourself designated surfing time, at the start of the day, before/after lunch and towards the end of the day. Do not surf outside of your designated time-slots unless work related. If you can enforce this you will guaranteed work more effectively. 
  \item \textbf{Take breaks}. When you spend the day in front of the computer, surfing the internet is not considered a break. Go outside, see other people, eat an apple. 
  \item \textbf{Variation}. If you get stuck or tired, try doing something else. Why not write on a section of your thesis? Introduction, theory, setup, method, are sections which you can (and should!) start writing early. 
\end{enumerate}
%

%-------------Useful links-----------------------
\subsection{Useful links}
%------------------------------------------------
%
\begin{description}
    \item[Hamster] \url{http://projecthamster.wordpress.com/}
    \item[Basket]\url{http://basket.kde.org/}
    \item[List of time tracking software] \url{www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_time_tracking_software}
    \item[Web comics (for fun)] \url{www.xkcd.com}, \url{www.phdcomics.com}, \url{www.abstrusegoose.com}
\end{description}


%
%-------------Book-keeping-----------------------
\section{Book-keeping}
%------------------------------------------------
%
You vaguely remember reading a web-page which precisely addressed your current problem. It takes you 5-10 min to relocate it.
Sounds familiar?
Searching for stuff you have already found is a waste of time, yet we keep doing it. Most things of interest you'll find on the internet. Thus a proper bookmarking system is a good idea. Google bookmarks allows you to access your bookmarks on any computer. You can add a button on the bookmark toolbar in your browser to allow easy bookmarking of pages you visit. Bookmarks can also be exported and imported between various interfaces. Figure \ref{fig:bookmarks} shows an example of a catalogue structure for organizing your bookmarks. References to published articles you should manage in a more robust tool designed for that purpose, see next section.

\begin{quote}
\textbf{DONT}: use extensive tabbing and never close your browser instead of bookmarking.
\end{quote}

%-------------Exercise-----------------------
\paragraph{Exercise}
%------------------------------------------------
%
Create relevant bookmark folders in you bookmark system (does not have to be Google bookmarks) and systematize your current bookmarks. 
Example:

\begin{figure}[ht]
	\centering
	\includegraphics[scale=.45]{figs/bookmarks.eps}
	\caption{Example of folder structure for bookmarks}
	\label{fig:bookmarks}
\end{figure}

%-------------Reference database-----------------------
\section{Reference database}
%------------------------------------------------
%
You will need a system for keeping track of articles. Whether you use Bibtex, EndNote or other to include them in your thesis, you need a database for your references so that they are available when you need them. Avoid spending the last week fixing the bibliography. Whenever you find a relevant article: register it in your archive. Also, when you write, insert references as you go along (after first draft). Most online journals offer export options for citing articles in desired format. This feature makes it painless to insert references, plus, you avoid discrepancies due to manual editing.  
Check for instance \url{http://prb.aps.org/}. Could you export the citation for the latest article?

%-------------Printing-----------------------
\subsection{Printing}
%------------------------------------------------
%
It is still, for the time being, more comfortable to read articles on paper, but please only print articles you will certainly read. If you will read it later, print it later.

\begin{quote}
\textbf{DON'T}: print every article you think is vaguely relevant, never read it, forget where you put it and refuse to change office because your office is a fortress of paper which would take a week just to move. 
\end{quote}

%-------------Exercise-----------------------
\paragraph{Exercise}
%------------------------------------------------
%
\begin{enumerate}
  \item Using JabRef, Refbase, or other, add at least 10 entries. Try to export the citation directly from the journal without entering it manually. 
  \item Most reference handling tools offer a labelling system. Create relevant labels and label your entries. 
\end{enumerate}


